Selling your home in the Greater Toronto Area, including North York, East York, and Etobicoke, is a tall order that can be emotionally challenging, no matter what the reason. In order to ensure that you’ll secure the highest selling price possible, you’ll probably have to do quite a bit of work.
Of course, real estate agents can help you prepare your house and make sure your house sells quickly and help you get more money for it. However, you might want to take care of some of the obvious things that could distract potential buyers.
For example, you might not get as many buyers if your entire house is cluttered. You’ll need to place your personal items, including all the family photos, in a storage space until you are settled in your new home. You’ll also want to complete the necessary repairs to ensure a sale.
However, if you don’t know where to start or even if you’ve completed the final step before placing your house for sale before prospective buyers, it’s still a good idea to contact a real estate agent in Mississauga or any other nearby neighbourhood. After all, most buyers will use an agent to find their future home and help them get the best home value. As the home seller, you will also want to secure the highest asking price you can get.
Here are some important tips every home seller should know if they want to get as much money for their house as they can. These tips will also help you get your house ready to sell, no matter what the current state of the real estate market is.
13 Tips on Preparing Your Home for Sale
Of course, you definitely want to make as much money as possible when you sell your house, so you’ll have to impress buyers looking in the Vaughan, Thornhill, or Oakville areas or in other Toronto-area communities. A real estate agent should conduct a pre-listing inspection and have the know-how to help you boost your asking price when you place your house for sale.
In addition to hiring a professional stager and a professional photographer, you’ll also need to do several things to attract potential buyers. Here are some important steps to help you attract as many buyers as possible.
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De-Personalize Your Home
One of the first things you’ll need to do is place all the family photos into storage spaces. Stowing your personal items away will make a big difference when it comes to selling your house because you want potential buyers to be able to see their own items inside the house when they go for a showing.
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De-Clutter the Home
Another important step when selling any real estate is to de-clutter. After all, the staging process can only do so much if there is clutter everywhere. If your house has small rooms, this is even more critical and will make a big difference. If you don’t have one already, it may be a good idea to secure a storage unit so that you can stow away anything you don’t need while you’re selling your house.
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Paint the Interior
A paint job in several key rooms could also be key when selling your house. Neutral colours will generally make the sale of the home go more smoothly because most buyers prefer them. Additionally, a new paint job makes the interior of the home look newer. Finally, a fresh coat of paint attracts prospective buyers because it shows that the house has been updated.
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Check for Minor Repairs or Replacements Needed
Real estate comes in every state of repair, from fixer-upper to newly built, so when you prepare your house for sale, it’s a good idea to make it look as new as possible, even if it is 100 years old. Home inspections should reveal even minor repairs or replacements that should be completed before placing it up for sale.
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Clean Out Closets and Cabinets
A deep clean is also a necessity, and this includes not only scrubbing down all surfaces, including the outside of cabinets and other doors, but also the insides of closets and cabinets. When buyers are looking for a new home address, they may be concerned about there being less space for storage than what they need. Cleaning out closets and cabinets will make them look larger.
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Make Rooms Sparkle
It’s also not a bad idea to hire professional cleaners who can perform a deep clean, scrub off any scuff marks that might be on the walls, and clean anything else that needs it.
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Get Rid of Odors
One of the first things buyers will notice upon opening the front door is odours. For example, if you’ve been living with pet odours for a long time, you probably won’t notice them anymore, but someone else will. If you don’t eliminate all unpleasant odours, you run the risk of turning buyers away before they even look at the home.
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Bring Nature Into Your Home
Placing fresh flowers in the dining room and other interior spaces can enhance the home’s appearance.
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Take Care of The Exterior
The exterior is also important because first impressions can make all the difference in the world. You should endeavour to present an attractive experience from the curb onto the front porch. It might be a good idea to replace or paint the front door and even use a pressure washer on any troublesome areas on the home’s exterior.
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Increase Curb Appeal
You only get one chance to make a first impression, so it is essential that you make the front entrance especially appealing. Flower pots can add a bit of color to the front porch, and landscaping will make everything come alive.
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Stage Important Areas of the House
Home staging is also an important part of any home sale. A professional stager will make all the difference throughout the staging process. They know which rooms should definitely be staged, like the master bedroom. If you’re dealing with small rooms, furniture that is too large will just enhance the problem, so you’ll want to switch it out for pieces that fit just right.
You’ll want to place an attractive dining room table to showcase that room. In the living room, include some throw pillows on a couch that are just right for the space. Place some fresh fruit on the kitchen counter and fresh flowers in the living room to make the house feel welcoming.
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Spruce Up the Front Entrance
The front entrance is also a critical part of the home to showcase because it’s the first thing buyers see after the front yard. Pet odour attacks the senses when buyers who aren’t used to the smell come in. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that you change out any light bulbs that have burned out in the entryway, both inside and outside the house.
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Be Creative With Lighting
Speaking of lighting, you’ll want to ensure that there is adequate light throughout the home. No one wants to buy a home that’s dark because the lack of light can negatively impact emotions. Check that all light switches work, and replace all the burned-out light bulbs in all the light fixtures. Look for creative ways to enhance the home’s appearance by adding light or making other changes to enhance the light sources that are already there.
What Home Improvements Add the Most Value?
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Bathroom
Updating the bathrooms has long been advised for anyone selling almost any kind of real estate. If there’s room, you might want to add some particularly appealing or unusual features like a walk-in tub, whirlpool tub or other updates that enhance the bathroom.
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Kitchen
The kitchen has also been a source of interest among buyers considering any sale. Aside from updating the appliances and adding high-end features like granite countertops, you can also get creative with the light fixtures by adding recessed lighting in the kitchen. These types of features always catch the eyes of those considering their next home.
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A Fresh Coat of Paint
Current trends call for paint rather than wallpaper, so if you still have wallpaper in any of the rooms, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to remove it and paint the walls instead. Additionally, you might want to paint neutral colours over any unusual colours you might have because they will appeal to a larger percentage of buyers. Finally, just applying a fresh coat of paint can be an inexpensive way to make any space look new and updated.
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Landscaping
Curb appeal is also an essential quality when trying to sell real estate. The proper landscaping can make a huge difference in how long it takes for your home to sell. Just adding some well-placed bushes and flowers will make all the difference.
FAQs
How to Get Your House Ready to Sell in 30 Days?
If you need to sell your home in Burlington, Richmond Hill, or any other Toronto-area community quickly, you may have only 30 days to get it ready. Thus, you should prioritize certain tasks that will get you the most bang for your buck一or rather, your elbow grease and sweat.
Painting as many of the rooms as you can makes a huge difference because it freshens them up and makes them look a bit newer. Adding some appealing landscaping will also make your home more attractive by increasing its curb appeal.
You’ll also want to make any small fixes that you can in the time allowed and ensure that each room has the proper lighting. De-cluttering is also essential, and the final step is deep cleaning. No one wants to buy a home that looks like it hasn’t been taken care of or that appears it will come with a significant amount of cleaning needed before they can move in.
What Is the Fastest Way to Clean a Cluttered House?
Most people have some level of clutter in their homes, although some people have significantly more than others. To clean a cluttered home as quickly as possible, you’ll want to start with the simplest things, like doing the laundry and making the beds. Vacuuming and mopping come next.
To deal with all that clutter, you’ll need to look at everything that’s sitting out and give it a home. If you can’t figure it out in the short time allotted, it may be best to sweep all the clutter into a box and stow it away until after the move.
Once you’ve dealt with the clutter, you’ll be ready to start cleaning everything, starting with the largest items. Finally, you can dust the furniture.
Why Do Houses Not Sell?
One of the most common reasons homes in hot neighbourhoods like New Toronto, Mimico or Alderwood don’t sell is a pricing issue. Some houses are overpriced out of the gate, while others are not seen by buyers looking at adjacent price ranges. Other potential issues include location, low ceilings, a difficult-to-modify floor plan, or poor architecture.
What Color Should You Paint Your House to Sell It Faster and for More Money?
If you’re painting the exterior, a light colour like white, ivory, pale grey or even sage green makes the home look larger. When you’re painting the rooms, the usual advice is to stick to neutral shades. In some cases, white can be the best colour to choose, but you also run the risk of buyers seeing it as boring and unappealing. In some cases, even a neutral blue shade can be a good option for the space.
What Are Five Good Features of an Ideal House?
If possible, home sellers would do well to target the most sought-after types of features. However, most of these features are not things that can be easily changed. As a result, it’s best to hire an agent who can help you minimize these features.
Among the most sought-after features are high ceilings of 10 to 12 feet, high-quality construction material, outdoor living areas, having all the rooms on a single level, and green features like solar panels or smart home features that reduce energy consumption or do anything else to reduce the home’s footprint.
Final Thoughts
Selling your home is easier in some markets than in others, but there are some things that always hold true, no matter what kind of real estate market we are in. The key is to make the home appealing to a wide variety of homebuyers, whatever that may entail. You can also consult a Toronto property management company like Buttonwood for further tips.
